Wireless PHY Systems Engineer

Summary

Join Apple's Wireless SoC team — one of the most innovative and high-impact groups in the industry — where we define next-generation modem architectures, develop cutting-edge physical-layer algorithms, and invent embedded DSP solutions that power products like AirPods, Apple Watch and iPhone.

As a Wireless PHY Systems Engineer, you will play a central role in building end-to-end simulation frameworks for sophisticated wireless systems. Your work will span the full signal chain from propagation channel modeling and RF/antenna behavior to PHY & MAC protocols and signal processing algorithms. Application areas include Bluetooth-based wireless audio and ultra-wideband (UWB) sensing — technologies that define the user experiences Apple is known for.

This is a rare opportunity to work at the intersection of wireless systems research, algorithm development, and silicon engineering, with direct impact on products used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Description

In this role, you will be responsible for the modeling, simulation, and performance analysis of complex wireless systems across multiple protocol layers and signal processing domains. You will work closely with PHY systems and algorithm engineers, analog and digital designers, and firmware/software engineers to invent, simulate, implement, verify, and test physical-layer features for new SoC designs.

You will leverage AI-assisted simulation and data analysis techniques to accelerate development cycles, uncover system-level insights, and improve the accuracy and scalability of end-to-end models. Your contributions will directly shape the architecture and performance of next-generation wireless chips.

Responsibilities

Design and develop end-to-end simulation frameworks encompassing propagation channel models, RF/antenna abstractions and PHY/MAC protocol stacks.
Invent, derive, and evaluate physical-layer algorithms and DSP techniques for Bluetooth, UWB, and other wireless protocols.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to model and visualize system performance across the full signal chain.
Process and analyze large volumes of field and simulation data; develop clear, user-friendly visualizations of complex results including measurement accuracies, system latencies, and protocol performance metrics.
Partner with digital and analog design teams to translate algorithm insights into hardware-ready specifications, supporting fixed-point design and RTL vector generation.
Support lab bring-up and validation activities, including FPGA/silicon testing, PHY/RF/MAC debugging, calibration procedures, and lab equipment operation.
Utilize AI/ML techniques across all aspects of the role — including algorithm design and optimization, simulation framework development, post-processing and visualization of large-scale datasets, and lab-based testing and debugging workflows.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree.
Hands-on software programming skills for system modeling and simulation, with required proficiency in MATLAB and C/C++.
Experience collecting, processing, and visualizing large-scale field and simulation datasets, including performance metrics such as measurement accuracy, latency, and throughput.
Familiarity with analog/RF impairments common in wireless systems (e.g., phase noise, IQ imbalance, nonlinearity).
Experience with or knowledge of wireless standards such as Bluetooth, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), or other wireless protocols.

Preferred Qualifications

MSEE/Ph.D. in electrical engineering, Digital Communications, Signal Processing, or equivalent.
Deep understanding in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Wireless Communications, with hands-on experience in wireless chip or modem development.
Strong systems-level understanding of wireless architectures, including the ability to reason about cross-layer dependencies between RF, PHY, MAC, and higher protocol layers.
Experience applying AI/ML methods to wireless systems problems — such as learned channel estimation, or ML-based anomaly detection in simulation data, etc.
Proficiency with Python and data science/ML libraries (e.g., NumPy, PyTorch, scikit-learn) for simulation automation and AI-assisted analysis workflows.
Experience with fixed-point design, RTL vector generation, and/or High-Level Synthesis (HLS).
Experience in lab FPGA/silicon bring-up, PHY/RF/MAC testing, and use of RF lab equipment.
Experience with simulation automation, regression frameworks, or CI/CD pipelines for large-scale system simulation.
Prior contributions to wireless standards bodies or industry consortia (e.g., IEEE, Bluetooth SIG, FiRa Consortium).
Strong written and verbal communication skills with a track record of presenting complex technical results to cross-functional audiences.

Pay & Benefits — San Diego, California, United States

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $122,700 and $214,300, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Application Deadline

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.